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Argentine sailors' play leading roles at Youth Olympic Games

Sunday, October 7, 2018 7:37 PM

Argentine sailors' play leading roles at Youth Olympic Games Opening Ceremony

Cittadini, Nacra 15 gold medallist at the 2018 Youth Sailing World Championships in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA earlier this year started the Argentinean celebrations as he carried his national flag during the athlete parade.

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Following a spectacular show presented on the iconic Obelisk in the middle of Buenos Aires, Saroli, gold medallist at Rio 2016 in the Nacra 17, carried the Olympic flame on its penultimate leg. Saroli handed to her Nacra 17 team mate and fellow Olympic gold medallist Lange and .

Lange and Pareto lit the cauldron with the Youth Olympic Game before the evening culminated in a firework display that lit the skies of Buenos Aires.

In a first for the Olympic Games, the Opening Ceremony was held in the street and was free for all. More than 200,000 people lined the Avenida 9 de Julio in front of the Obelisk.

The porteños sang, danced and celebrated on what was a magical evening, showing their enthusiasm at hosting the Youth Olympic Games in their city.

The show itself was spectacular, with the Olympic rings appearing to float in the air, the Youth Olympic sports being presented on the iconic Obelisk, and numerous tango dancers performing on the balconies of the apartments lining the avenue. Almost 2,000 people worked to ensure the smooth running of the Ceremony, including more than 350 artists, technicians and musicians from the Argentinian theatre company Fuerza Bruta, which captivated a worldwide audience.

Addressing the young athletes in his speech, IOC President Thomas Bach said, "To get here, each of you trained and competed hard. You gave your best in the sport you love so much. This is why you deserve to be here, at your Games. Every athlete is different. We all come from different parts of the world and have different cultures. But we are all united by the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect. Guided by these Olympic values, each one of you makes a difference in sport and in life. This experience will stay with you for all your life. We are all assembled here to celebrate you, as the real game-changers."

Sailing starts on Sunday 7 October with the Boy's and Girl's Windsurfing (Techno 293+) the first competitors on the water.